The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-09-09
A s1NEwY MERMAID.

AIoIo COhioo Oho hoW Juoc iooA ss
her! She wears suit OF scarlet and
white striped ticking, cnt out in a
square round the base OF her throat,
and with short sleeves. On her
shoulders are puffs OF some red ma
terial, a rufile OF which is gathered up
round the neck. Round her waist is
knotted the regulation scarf, and frlls
OF red give finish to her skirt. Her
stockings are OF red silk, and a red
silk handkerchief is twisted round her
head, the ends knotted in front, dark.
ey fashion. Her short English bang
is just visible, and few little ten
drills on the nape OF her neck. She is
brown as mahogany, with n small
hand, hard and firm from many n
well.fought set on the tennis'ground,
where her service is famous, and her
back. chambers dreaded. Under the
growth OF the smooth skin on her arms
are muscles which would put your dude
to the blush. In her movements
there are the buoyancy, the nervous
alertness OF perfect health and per.
fectly trained muscles, which make the
Indian the most graceful oibipeds. As
she walks down the beach, the young
men in striped bathing suits, taking sun
baths on the sand, or lying on their
faces gossiping. and languidly kicking
their heels, digging wells, or lazily spoon
ing in the discs OF shade cast by tent.
like ginshams, jump at sight of her, ind
rush to meet her, She is inclined to be
chummy with them. Just at present
she eschews any attemptsn Irritation,
That will be all very well tonight
when, in white lace gown, with vel.
vet band round her neck to hide where
the brown ends and the white begins.
and diamond star in her dark hair,
she will be irivolously inclined, putting
on her coquetries with her gloves and
her mothers rings. The present is a
time OF action. not speech They ask
Der to swim with them; challenge her;
bet her, like Cassius and Caesar, that
she can't "swim to yonder point"
She accepts the challenge with fine
scorn, and they pick out their choicest
swimmer, q superb young college ath.
lete, o member OF his class crew, and
with u record on the ball field He is
q handsome fellow, with arms full oil
shadows, emerging rugged and brown
from the shoulders OF his blue suit,
and with crisp, short hair, and ajolly,
boyish laugh. They back him against
her in race from the raft to the
wharf. Hands are shaken'over it, and
odds offered as they stand chatting
on the hard sand, which as the CLASSY
wave slips back, marking it's limit with
q fringe OF bubbles, reflects heir stur
dy legs like brown mirror. Then a.
way they fly to where the spring, board
is poised temptingly.
The gentleman takes the raft and
the lady the board. For one instant
you see her slim figure, block against
the summer sky, poised wi appraised
hands on the end OF the undulatine
board. as light rs abutterhy on bend
ing spire of grass. Then with q spring
and flash OF red feet, her body de-
scribes an arc through the air, her
pointed fingers strike the CLASSY wa.
ter, which divides in two fountains oil
spray, and down, down, down,
through the cool, green depths, she
cleaves her way. The man follows,
and in a second they are up and the
race begins. The oily water ripples
away from their chins in two ever.
widening lines. Side by side, his
brown head and her red handkerchie!
bob along on the top OF the water,
Now she swims on her side, with one
wet arm shooting forward in
long. swift strokes; then both togeth
err they glance ahead, sweeping through
the ripples with q steady, regular
forward motion. Suddenly they dis
appear, leaving nothing but n line OF
bubbles on the surface, to emerge hall
q dozen rods father on, easping, drip.
ping, laughing, jeering each other.
She is ahead, swimming on her side
with the top OF the red handkerchief
to the waves. As she
makes u little spring forward with
every stroke, she looks back over her
shoulder with q quick, painting laugh,
and flash of brown eyes. The ex
cited hackers on the wharf cheer lusti
ly. The colleeian makes squirt, and
putting as the waves in her wake strike
his lips, draws up beside her. The ex
element grows intense. They seem
10 leap through the water, their bod
les rising and shooting forward with
each powerful, outward sweep OF Their
arms. The watchers, frantically ex.
cited, rush down the Shiny steps, cheer
ing and yelling encouragement to Their
champions. The champions, painting
scarlet, and bursting with
laughter, make q final, furious squirt,
stretch out their arms, are grasped by
their hackers, and, amid cheers, drawn
~ IN tha otonS I'm tho ron NJ ths